Electric locomotive for toy and model railroads

ABSTRACT

AN ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE FOR TOY AND MODEL RAILROADS WHICH COMPRISES A PLURALITY OF CURRENT CONSUMERS, INCLUDING A DRIVING MOTOR, AND IN WHICH FOR CONDUCTING THE CURRENT FROM TERMINALS TO THE CURRENT CONSUMERS THERE IS PROVIDED A PRINTED CONDUCTOR PLATE INSERTED INTO THE LOCOMOTIVE.

Feb. 23, 1971 M, RNST 3,564,767

ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE FOR TOY AND MODEL RAILROADS Filed Aug. 12, 1968 United States Patent 3,564,767 ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE FOR TOY AND MODEL RAILROADS Max Ernst, Lohengrinstr. 14, Nuremberg, Germany Filed Aug. 12, 1968, Ser. No. 751,794 Claims priority, application Germany, Aug. 12, 1967, P 16 03 281.8 Int. Cl. A63h 19/10 US. Cl. 46-243 16 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An electric locomotive for toy and model railroads which comprises a plurality of current consumers, including a driving motor, and in which for conducting the current from terminals to the current consumers there is provided a printed conductor plate inserted into the locomotive.

The present invention relates to an electric locomotive for toy and model railroads which in addition to a driving motor also comprises additional current consumers.

In connection with electric toy locomotives, it is known to supply such locomotives with current selectively from an overhead line or through a rail. It is also known to provide the locomotive at both end faces with electric light which respectively and selectively may be turned on in conformity with the respective driving direction.

It is an object of this invention to provide an electric locomotive for toy and model railroads in which all condoctors or wires for switches, current connections and current consumers will consist of a few elements.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a locomotive as set forth in the preceding paragraph in which all wires can be assembled outside the locomotive and can by a few operations be properly installed in the locomotive.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a locomotive according to the invention without cover but with a device according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of a conductor plate according to the invention for the locomotive of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of a motor for a locomotive according to the invention;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the conductor plate of FIG. 2 but on a larger scale than the latter;

FIG. 5 is a top view of the motor according to FIG. 3 likewise on a larger scale than FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is a printed circuit for the conductor plate of FIG. 2 with the consumers on the locomotive.

The electric locomotive for toy and model railroads according to the invention, which in addition to a driving motor also comprises additional current consumers, is characterized primarily in that a printed conductor plate is inserted in the locomotive for feeding current to the terminals of current consumers in the locomotive.

Such conductor plate may be arranged on the top side of the locomotive body in horizontal position and may be connected thereto, preferably detachably connected thereto.

The connection will preferably serve as mass connection between the conductor plate and the locomotive body which latter is connected with the mass contact of the rail current collector. The conductor plate is furthermore connected to the motor, preferably in a fixed condition, for instance by means of a plate on the motor housing. This is particularly advantageous because, ac-

ice

cording to a further feature of the invention, also the brushes of the motor are connected to the conductor plate motor. In particular, the brushes of the motor may within the area of the conductor paths be suspended in corresponding cutouts. Resilient holding means may rest upon suspension eyes of the brushes while said holding means are riveted to the conductor plate and are firmly connected to the conductor paths or press the brushes firmly against these conductor paths.

The conductor plate may furthermore be provided with contact paths in a reversing switch for selectively connecting the locomotive to a current withdrawal yoke or a rail current withdrawing means. Furthermore, the conductor plate may also be provided with elements preventing sparking and eliminating disturbances particlarly with ferrite cores and/or a condenser soldered between the brush terminals, said elements preferably being in series with said motor brushes. Finally, the conductor plate may in addition to connecting flags or strips for the yoke and rail current withdrawing means also have connecting flaps for the central contacts of flaps arranged on the narrow sides. The said flaps are connected to the conductor paths through the intervention of resilient clamp-in differently poled rectifier plates.

The conductor plate according to the invention may be produced and equipped and connected to the motor outside the locomotive. In this way, aside from a passage for the rail current collectors, the entire electric supply conduit system of the locomotive is united in a block closed in itself. Aside from the essential simplification and reduction in costs with regard to the assembly, the invention is advantageous not only in connection with the manufacturing process but also during the assembly. The illustrated construction makes it possible, without any time consumption to correct occurring errors or defects and to do so by a simple exchange of parts.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a locomotive without cover and with a device according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a conductor plate according to the invention for the locomotive of FIG. 1 likewise shown in side view.

FIG. 3 is a side view of a motor used in connection with the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows on a larger scale than FIG. 2 the top view of the conductor according to FIG, 2.

FIG. 5 is a top view of the motor according to FIG. 3 but on a larger scale than the latter.

FIG. 6 illustrates the circuit of the printed conductor plate according to FIGS. 1 and 4 with the consumers connected thereto.

Referring now more specifically to the drawing, the upper portion of the locomotive body 1 has inserted therein an insulating plate 2 which extends along a horizontal plane. Below said plate 2 there is provided a drive motor 3. As will be seen from FIG. 2, plate 2 is provided with connecting terminals 4 for the current collecting bow, and is also provided with contact strips 5, 6 for connection with current feeding means electrically connected to rails. The plate 2 also comprises terminals 7 for connection with the lamps at the ends of the locomotive, and also has brushes 8, 9 for the motor 3, resilient holders 10, 11 for the brushes 8, 9 and a switch 7 for selectively connecting the locomotive to a current collecting bow through the terminals 4 or the current collecting means for connection with the rails through contact strips 5, 6. In conformity with FIG. 3, the insulating plate 2 is connected to the motor 3 by a plate 13 which is bent out of the sheet metal housing of motor 3. Motor 3 has a shaft 14 which extends all the way through and on both sides carries a driving worm 15.

As will be evident from FIG. 4, the insulating plate 2 is provided with conductors in the manner of a printed circuit, said conductors being formed by thin metal strips. In FIG. 6, the said conductors are shown in the form of a regular circuit and comprise a conductor 16 for the current collecting bow or trolley arms. The reference numeral 19 designates a conductor leading to the contact strips of the rail current collector. The reference numeral 17 designates a conductor leading to a lamp 28 at one end of the locomotive whereas a conductor 18 leads to a lamp 29 at the other end of the locomotive. A mass conductor 20 leads to the motor brush 9 or the resilient holder 11 therefor whereas a conductor 21 leads to the motor brush 8 or the resilient holder therefor. The conductor has interposed therein a ferrite core 25 which is in series with the motor brush 9, whereas the conductor 21 has interposed therein a ferrite core 26 which is in series with the other motor brush 8. The ferrite cores as spark quenching means are preferably located in cutouts of the plate 2. Between the motor brushes 8, 9 or the conductors 18, 20 there is soldered-in a spark quenching condenser 22 which according to FIG. 2 is located below the plate 2.

The brushes 8, 9, with the motor 3 adjacent the conductor plate 2, extend into a cutout 23 of the motor 3 and rest on a collector 30 of an armature 31 which is connected to the shaft 14.

According to FIGS. 2 and 4, the plate 2 has circularly arranged contact paths 32, 33, 34 which are associated with the switch 12 and which are raked by a two-arm U-shaped contact member 35. The contact member 35 is fork-shaped and is slipped by lateral parallel grooves onto a control shaft 36 of the switch 12 and is guided in a circular slot 37 so as to be limited in its tilting movement. For purposes of actuating the control shaft 36, the latter is provided with a slot 38, Furthermore, the said control shaft or control pin is below the conductor plate 2 provided with a plate 39 of increased diameter against which one end of a helical spring 40 rests whereas the other end of said spring rests against the conductor plate 2 whereby the contact member 35 is pulled against the contact paths or conductors 32, 33, 34.

Between the conductors 17 and 18 and the terminal 7 for the lamps 28, 29 rectifier plates 41, 42 are provided which are poled in a reverse order with regard to each other, said plates 41, 42 being held in insulating masks 43. Depending on the current and the direction of rotation of the motor 3, in other words, on the driving direction of the locomotive, either the lamp 28 at one end of the locomotive or the lamp 29 at the other end of the locomotive is lighted.

As will be evident from FIGS. 4 and 6, the conductor 19 is connected to a current feeding means 44 through the rails which means is connected to the wheel contact of one rail whereas the other rail is through a wheel contact 45 connected to the locomotive body 1. When tightening the plate 2 by means of a polished metal screw threaded into a bore 46, the mass connection between the locomotive body 1 and the conductor 20 is established.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by no means, limited to the particular design shown in the drawing, but also permits various modifications, the scope of the invention being determined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An electric locomotive for toy and model railroads, which includes in combination: a wheel frame, chassis means, a plurality of current consumers including electric drive motor means supported by said chassis means, a plurality of terminals for connection with current supply means, plate means with a printed circuit thereon located within said locomotive and supported by said chassis means for establishing electric connection between said terminals and all said current consumers thereon, brushes for energy supply to said drive motor means and secured to said plate means with a printed circuit thereon and electrically connected to said printed circuit upon said plate means, and mounting means for support of said drive motor means on said printed circuit of said plate means.

2. An electric locomotive in combination according to claim 1, in which said plate means is located in the upper part of said locomotive and extends along a horizontal plane, and which comprises connecting means detachably connecting said plate means to said chassis means and forming a mass connection between said plate means and said chassis means, and mass contact means connected to said chassis means for connection With a rail.

3. An electric locomotive in combination according to claim 1, in which the shaft of said electric motor means extends in the longitudinal direction of said locomotive, and in which said motor means is located above and directly adjacent to said plate means and has its housing firmly connected thereto.

4. An electric locomotive in combination according to claim 1, which includes brush means pertaining to said motor means and connected to said plate means.

'5. An electric locomotive in combination according to claim 4, in which said brush means are suspended in said plate means within the area of said printed circuit.

6. A locomotive in combination according to claim 4, which includes resilient holding means firmly pressing said brush means against portions of said printed circuit.

7. A locomotive in combination according to claim 4, in which said printed circuit includes conductor means and selector switch means connected to said conductor means and operable through said conductor means to establish electric communication of said electric motor means with a current conducting rail and with a current collecting bow for engagement of an overhead wire.

8. A locomotive in combination according to claim 7, in which said selector switch means includes a two-arm contact member, arc-shaped guiding means for guiding said contact member along an arc, and resilient means yieldably pressing said contact member against said conductor means.

9. A locomotive in combination according to claim 8, in which said selector switch means include a shaft, and in which said contact member is mounted on said shaft.

10. A locomotive in combination according to claim 9, in which said shaft extends from above said plate means through and below the latter, and which includes a bottom plate connected to the lower end of said shaft, helical spring means arranged between said bottom plate and the plate means with the printed circuit thereon and continuously urging said shaft to move in axial direction thereof downwardly, said contact members being connected to that portion of said shaft which is located above said plate means whereby said contact member is resiliently held in an electric contact with a portion of said printed circuit.

11. A locomotive in combination according to claim 1, in which said printed circuit includes spark quenching means arranged in series to said brush means.

12. A locomotive in combination according to claim 4, in which said printed circuit includes condenser means electrically connected and interposed between said brush means.

13. A locomotive in combination according to claim 1, which includes terminals connetced to said printed circuit for connection with current conveying means outside said plate means.

14. A locomotive in combination according to claim 1, which includes incandescent lamp means at the end portions of said locomotive, and in which said plate means is at the end portions thereof provided with resilient terminals for connection with said lamp means.

15. A locomotive in combination according to claim 14, which includes rectifier means provided between said resilient terminals and the respective adjacent lamp means.

5 16. A locomotive in combination according to claim FOREIGN PATENTS 15, in which said rectifier means are respectively inserted 877,102 9/1961 Great Britain 46 243 in an insulating mask.

LOUIS G. MANCENE P E References Cited nmary Xammel 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS R. F. CUTTING, Assistant Examiner 3,076,288 2/1963 Ernst 46-217X 3,271,601 9/1966 Raver 31068 46217;10549 

